JP7252741B2 - Imaging device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an imaging device, and more particularly to an imaging device in which a lens barrel is fixed to a base member.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been known an image pickup apparatus in which a base member is attached to a substrate on which an image pickup element is mounted, and a lens barrel is fixed to the base member (see, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-100001). In such an imaging device, the lens barrel is often fixed to the base member by screwing the male screw portion formed on the lens barrel into the female screw portion formed on the base member. When the lens barrel and the base member are screwed together, some of the materials that make up these members may be scraped off to produce fine dust, which adheres to the image sensor on the substrate and impairs imaging performance. It is feared that it will affect

In the imaging apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-200010, foreign matter is trapped in the concave portion of the intermediate member to reduce the influence of the foreign matter on the image pickup element. Therefore, when used in an environment with a lot of vibration, such as an image pickup device mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile or train, there is a risk that foreign matter trapped in the concave portion may fly out of the concave portion due to the vibration and adhere to the image sensor. There is

WO2016/158397

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an image pickup apparatus capable of preventing deterioration of image pickup performance caused by foreign matter adhering to an image pickup element.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an imaging apparatus capable of preventing deterioration in imaging performance due to foreign matter adhering to an imaging element. This imaging device includes a substrate on which an imaging device is mounted, a lens barrel that holds a lens inside, a base member that is attached to the substrate, and that is disposed between the substrate and the base member and has elasticity. and a dustproof member made of material. The lens barrel has a male threaded portion on at least a part of its outer periphery, and the base member has a female threaded portion with which the male threaded portion of the lens barrel is screwed. The dustproof member includes an opening through which light directed from the lens in the lens barrel to the imaging device passes, a base extending outward from the opening, and an inner side of the male screw portion of the lens barrel. a first contact portion that contacts the lens barrel; a second contact portion that is connected to the first contact portion and contacts the substrate around the imaging device; a third contact portion that contacts the substrate inside the contact portion , and a groove portion that is thinner outside the first contact portion is formed in the base portion of the dust-proof member. be done. In this specification, "inner side" means the side closer to the optical axis of the lens held in the lens barrel, and "outer side" means the side farther from the optical axis of the lens.

According to the above-described configuration, the space facing the threaded portion of the male threaded portion of the lens barrel and the female threaded portion of the base member is separated from the space in which the imaging element is arranged by the first contact portion of the dustproof member. will be isolated. Therefore, when the imaging device is assembled, fine dust is generated by screwing the male threaded portion of the lens barrel and the female threaded portion of the base member, and such foreign matter moves due to vibration during assembly or use. Even if it does, it is possible to prevent the foreign matter from entering the space where the imaging device is arranged. As a result, it is possible to prevent deterioration of imaging performance due to foreign matter adhering to the imaging device.

The first contact portion is a protrusion that protrudes from the base portion so as to surround the opening, and is a protrusion that contacts the lens barrel inside the male thread portion of the lens barrel. may By forming the first contact portion in a protruding shape in this manner, the contact area between the lens barrel and the dustproof member can be reduced, so that when the image pickup apparatus is assembled, the contact area between the lens barrel and the dustproof member can be reduced. It is possible to reduce the frictional resistance that occurs between them. As a result, the force required when screwing the lens barrel onto the base member can be reduced, so that the position of the lens barrel in the direction of the optical axis can be changed to adjust the optical axis and focus of the lens. become easier.

Preferably, the dustproof member is elastically deformable such that the first contact portion biases the lens barrel away from the substrate. By biasing the lens barrel by the first abutting portion in this way, rattling caused by a gap between the male screw portion of the lens barrel and the female screw portion of the base member is suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to more accurately adjust the optical axis and focus of the lens of the lens barrel while the backlash between the lens barrel and the base member is suppressed.

It is preferable that the groove portion of the dust-proof member is recessed toward the substrate adjacent to the first contact portion. By forming the groove adjacent to the annular projection in this manner, the dust-proof member can be easily deformed in the vicinity of the annular projection to which force acts from the outside. Further, by forming the groove adjacent to the first contact portion, the first contact portion can more easily come into contact with the lens barrel evenly. It is possible to prevent a gap from occurring between

In this case, it is preferable that the groove portion of the dustproof member is arranged so as to face the threaded portion between the male screw portion of the lens barrel and the female screw portion of the base member. By arranging the grooves in this manner, foreign matter generated by screwing the male threaded portion of the lens barrel and the female threaded portion of the base member together can be received and collected by the grooves of the dustproof member.

The dustproof member has a third contact portion that contacts the substrate inside the second contact portion. By providing such a third contact portion, when the dust-proof member is sandwiched between the substrate and the base member, the force acting on the dust-proof member is divided between the second contact portion and the third contact portion. can be distributed in Therefore, it is possible to prevent the dust-proof member from being deformed such that it falls down between the substrate and the base member. In this case, in order to more effectively disperse the force acting on the dustproof member, it is preferable to position the third contact portion inside the first contact portion that contacts the lens barrel.

It is preferable that the second contact portion of the dust-proof member surrounds the imaging element of the substrate. In particular, when a gap is partially formed between the substrate and the base member, it is conceivable that foreign matter may enter the inside of the base member from the outside of the imaging device through this gap. By surrounding the imaging element of the substrate with the abutting portion of the substrate, it is possible to prevent foreign matter from adhering to the imaging element from the outside.

The base member may be formed with a recess having a shape corresponding to the shape of the dust-proof member, and the dust-proof member may be configured to fit into the recess of the base member. With such a configuration, the dust-proof member can be easily positioned with respect to the base member when assembling the imaging device, which facilitates manufacturing of the imaging device.

According to the present invention, the space facing the threaded portion of the male threaded portion of the lens barrel and the female threaded portion of the base member is separated from the space in which the imaging device is arranged by the first contact portion of the dustproof member. It will be done. Therefore, when the imaging device is assembled, fine dust is generated by screwing the male threaded portion of the lens barrel and the female threaded portion of the base member, and such foreign matter moves due to vibration during assembly or use. Even if it does, it is possible to prevent the foreign matter from entering the space where the imaging device is arranged. As a result, it is possible to prevent deterioration of imaging performance due to foreign matter adhering to the imaging device.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an imaging device according to one embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a plan view of the imaging device of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a front exploded perspective view of the imaging device of FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a rear exploded perspective view of the imaging device of FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a front view of a dustproof member in the imaging apparatus of FIG. 3. FIG. 6 is a rear view of the dustproof member of FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 5. FIG. 8 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 2. FIG.

1 to 8, an embodiment of an imaging apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail below. In addition, in FIGS. 1 to 8, the same or corresponding components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted. In addition, in FIGS. 1 to 8, the scale and dimensions of each component may be exaggerated, and some components may be omitted.

1 is a perspective view showing an imaging device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view, FIG. 3 is a front exploded perspective view, and FIG. 4 is a rear exploded perspective view. The imaging device 1 according to the present embodiment is used as a surveillance camera in vehicles such as automobiles and trains. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, an imaging device 1 according to this embodiment includes a flat substrate 10 having an imaging element 11 mounted on its surface, a base member 20 attached to the substrate 10, and a lens 31 held inside. and a lens barrel 30 with a lens barrel.

As shown in FIG. 4 , three screw holes 21 are formed in the base member 20 , and three through holes 12 are formed in the substrate 10 corresponding to these screw holes 21 . Mounting screws 13 are inserted through the through holes 12 of the substrate 10 , and the mounting screws 13 are screwed into screw holes 21 of the base member 20 , thereby fixing the base member 20 to the substrate 10 .

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a male screw portion (screw thread) 32 is formed on the outer circumference of the end portion of the lens barrel 30 on the substrate 10 side. The number of lenses 31 held in the lens barrel 30 is not limited to a specific number.

A circular opening 22 corresponding to the lens barrel 30 is formed in the base member 20 . A female threaded portion (screw groove) 23 is formed on the inner circumference of the opening 22 so as to correspond to the male threaded portion 32 of the lens barrel 30 . The lens barrel 30 is attached to the base member 20 by screwing the male screw portion 32 of the lens barrel 30 into the female screw portion 23 of the base member 20 .

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a dustproof member 40 made of an elastic material such as rubber is arranged between the base member 20 and the substrate 10 . More specifically, a concave portion 25 having a shape corresponding to the shape of the dustproof member 40 is formed on the substrate 10 side of the base member 20 , and the dustproof member 40 is fitted into the concave portion 25 of the base member 20 . , the dustproof member 40 is arranged between the base member 20 and the substrate 10 .

5 is a front view of the dustproof member 40, FIG. 6 is a rear view, and FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the dust-proof member 40 includes a substantially rectangular base portion 41 extending parallel to the YZ plane, an opening portion 42 formed in the center of the base portion 41, and an opening portion extending from the outer peripheral edge of the base portion 41 to the substrate 10. side (−X direction), an annular projection 44 (first contact portion) projecting in the +X direction from the surface of the base 41 on the side of the lens barrel 30, and the substrate 10 side of the base 41. and a rectangular tubular inner extension portion 45 extending toward the substrate 10 side (−X direction) from the surface of FIG.

As shown in FIG. 5, the annular protrusion 44 is arranged on the base 41 so as to surround the opening 42 . This annular protrusion 44 is connected to the outer extension 43 via the base 41 . In addition, the inner extending portion 45 extends so as to surround the opening 42 at a position inside the annular projection 44 .

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, in the base portion 41 of the dustproof member 40, a groove portion 46 recessed toward the substrate 10 side (-X direction) is formed adjacent to the annular projection 44. As shown in FIGS. The groove portion 46 in this embodiment is formed concentrically with the annular projection 44 outside the annular projection 44 . As shown in FIG. 7, the thickness of the base portion 41 is reduced at the groove portion 46 so that the dust-proof member 40 can easily bend at the groove portion 46 .

8 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 2. FIG. As shown in FIG. 8 , the dustproof member 40 is arranged so that the opening 42 thereof is located on the +X direction side of the imaging element 11 . As a result, the light from the lens 31 in the lens barrel 30 passes through the opening 42 of the dustproof member 40 and illuminates the imaging device 11 on the substrate 10 .

As shown in FIG. 8, the annular protrusion 44 of the dustproof member 40 abuts on the end surface 30A of the lens barrel 30 inside the male screw portion 32 of the lens barrel 30. As shown in FIG. For example, if the dust-proof member 40 does not have the groove 46, the dust-proof member 40 may bend (deform) unevenly when the annular projection 44 of the dust-proof member 40 comes into contact with the end surface 30A of the lens barrel 30. be. If the dustproof member 40 bends unevenly, a gap may occur between a part of the annular protrusion 44 and the end surface 30A of the lens barrel 30 when the annular protrusion 44 contacts the end surface 30A of the lens barrel 30. have a nature. In this embodiment, since the groove portion 46 is formed adjacent to the annular projection 44 as described above, the annular projection 44 is easily and evenly abutted against the end face 30A of the lens barrel 30. It is possible to prevent a gap from being generated between the end surface 30A of the lens barrel 30 and the end surface 30A.

Further, the outer extending portion 43 of the dust-proof member 40 contacts the surface 10A of the substrate 10 outside the imaging device 11 on the substrate 10, and is a second contact that contacts the substrate 10 around the imaging device 11. functions as a department. The inner extending portion 45 of the dustproof member 40 is in contact with the surface 10A of the substrate 10 outside the imaging element 11 on the substrate 10 and inside the outer extending portion 43, and is in contact with the substrate inside the outer extending portion 43. It functions as a third contact portion that contacts 10 .

Here, the thickness of the dustproof member 40 (the distance H from the tip of the outer extending portion 43 to the tip of the annular protrusion 44 in FIG. 7) is the distance between the surface 10A of the substrate 10 and the end face 30A of the lens barrel 30. greater than the distance. Therefore, when the dust-proof member 40 is arranged between the substrate 10 and the base member 20, the dust-proof member 40 is elastically deformed, and the annular projection 44 of the dust-proof member 40 moves toward the lens barrel 30 as shown in FIG. , and the outer extending portion 43 and the inner extending portion 45 are in close contact with the surface 10A of the substrate 10 . By elastically deforming the dustproof member 40 in this way, the annular projection 44 of the dustproof member 40 biases the lens barrel 30 in the +X direction.

A slight gap is formed between the male threaded portion 32 of the lens barrel 30 and the female threaded portion 23 of the base member 20 in order to facilitate screwing. A looseness will occur between the base member 30 and the base member 20 . In the present embodiment, as described above, the annular protrusion 44 of the dustproof member 40 biases the lens barrel 30 in the +X direction, so such rattling is suppressed.

Since it is difficult to support the elastically deformable dustproof member 40 by the outer extending portion 43 alone, in the present embodiment, in addition to the outer extending portion 43 , an inner extending portion is provided inside the outer extending portion 43 . A portion 45 is provided. By providing the inner extending portion 45 in this manner, the force acting on the dust-proof member 40 when the dust-proof member 40 is sandwiched between the substrate 10 and the base member 20 is can be distributed between Therefore, it is possible to prevent the dust-proof member 40 from being deformed such that it falls down between the substrate 10 and the base member 20 . In this case, in order to disperse the force acting on the dustproof member 40 more effectively, the inner extending portion 45 is arranged inside the annular projection 44 that abuts on the lens barrel 30 as in the present embodiment. preferably.

By arranging the dustproof member 40 as described above between the substrate 10 and the base member 20, the space facing the threaded portion between the male threaded portion 32 of the lens barrel 30 and the female threaded portion 23 of the base member 20 is formed. S1 (see FIG. 8) is separated from space S2 (see FIG. 8) in which the imaging device 11 is arranged by the annular projection 44 of the dustproof member 40. As shown in FIG. Further, in this embodiment, the groove portion 46 of the dustproof member 40 faces the threaded portion.

When assembling the imaging apparatus 1 having the above configuration, first, the lens barrel 30 is attached to the base member 20 by screwing the male screw portion 32 of the lens barrel 30 into the female screw portion 23 of the base member 20 . In this state, the dustproof member 40 is fitted into the concave portion 25 (see FIG. 4) of the base member 20 . Next, the board 10 on which the imaging device 11 is mounted is fixed to the base member 20 using the mounting screws 13 .

At this time, the annular protrusion 44 of the dust-proof member 40 abuts against the end face 30A of the lens barrel 30. However, since the dust-proof member 40 is elastically deformed between the base member 20 and the substrate 10, the annular protrusion 44 of the dust-proof member 40 The lens barrel 30 is biased to the side opposite to the substrate 10 . This suppresses rattling caused by a gap between the male threaded portion 32 of the lens barrel 30 and the female threaded portion 23 of the base member 20 . Therefore, it is possible to more accurately adjust the optical axis and focus of the lens 31 of the lens barrel 30 while the backlash between the lens barrel 30 and the base member 20 is suppressed. Adjustment of the optical axis and focus of the lens 31 is performed by rotating the lens barrel 30 with respect to the base member 20 .

Here, as described above, the space S1 (see FIG. 8) facing the threaded portion between the male threaded portion 32 of the lens barrel 30 and the female threaded portion 23 of the base member 20 is the annular protrusion 44 of the dustproof member 40. is isolated from the space S2 (see FIG. 8) in which the imaging element 11 is arranged. Therefore, even if fine dust is generated by screwing the male threaded portion 32 of the lens barrel 30 and the female threaded portion 23 of the base member 20, such foreign matter does not enter the space S2 from the space S1. , it is possible to prevent deterioration of imaging performance due to foreign matter adhering to the imaging device 11 .

Further, in this embodiment, since the groove portion 46 of the dustproof member 40 is configured to face the threaded portion, the screw between the male screw portion 32 of the lens barrel 30 and the female screw portion 23 of the base member 20 is prevented. Foreign matter generated by coalescence can be received and collected by the groove 46 of the dustproof member 40 .

After completing the adjustment of the optical axis and focus of the lens 31, the lens barrel 30 and the base member 20 are fixed to each other. As shown in FIG. 1, a gap R is formed between the lens barrel 30 and the base member 20 by the cut surface 34 formed on the male screw portion 32 of the lens barrel 30. For example, this gap The lens barrel 30 and the base member 20 can be fixed by injecting, for example, an adhesive from the R.

The imaging device 1 is completed as described above. According to such an image pickup apparatus 1, even if foreign matter collected in the groove 46 of the dust-proof member 40 moves during use due to, for example, vibration, the annular protrusion 44 of the dust-proof member 40 separates the space S1 from the space S2. Therefore, it is possible to prevent foreign matter from entering the space S2 from the space S1, and to prevent deterioration of imaging performance due to foreign matter adhering to the image sensor 11. FIG.

The backlash between the lens barrel 30 and the base member 20 can also be reduced by urging the lens barrel 30 with a plate spring or the like. In addition to the dust-proof member for preventing the entry of foreign matter, it is necessary to prepare a leaf spring. put away. In contrast, according to the present embodiment, the dustproof member 40 has both the function of preventing foreign matter from entering the space S2 and the function of urging the lens barrel 30 in the +X direction. manufacturing cost can be reduced.

In addition, since the outer extending portion 43 of the dustproof member 40 in the present embodiment surrounds the imaging element 11 over the entire circumference of the imaging element 11 of the substrate 10, foreign matter from the outside is prevented from adhering to the imaging element 11. can. In order to perform accurate surface alignment between the flat substrate 10 and the base member 20, the three screw mounting portions 24 (see FIG. 4) in which the screw holes 21 of the base member 20 are formed protrude slightly. The end surfaces of the three screw mounting portions 24 and the surface 10A of the substrate 10 are aligned with each other. Therefore, a slight gap G is formed between the substrate 10 and the base member 20 at the portions other than the screw mounting portion 24 (see FIG. 8). It is conceivable that foreign matter may enter the inside of the base member 20 from the outside through this gap G. Foreign matter from the outside is prevented from adhering to the imaging device 11 .

In the above-described embodiment, the first contact portion that contacts the lens barrel 30 is the annular projection 44, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a projection formed in a rectangular shape around the opening 42 or a projection formed in another shape can be used as the first contact portion. Furthermore, it is not necessary to form the first contact portion in a projecting shape, and the first contact portion may be configured so as to come into surface contact with the end surface 30A of the lens barrel 30 . However, the contact area between the lens barrel 30 and the dust-proof member 40 can be reduced by forming the first contact portion that contacts the lens barrel 30 in a protruding shape like the annular projection 44, so that the image can be captured. Frictional resistance generated between the lens barrel 30 and the dustproof member 40 when assembling the device 1 can be reduced. By reducing the frictional resistance between the lens barrel 30 and the dustproof member 40 in this way, the force required to screw the lens barrel 30 to the base member 20 can be reduced. It becomes easy to change the position of the lens barrel 30 in the optical axis direction for adjustment of the optical axis and focus.

In the above-described embodiment, the outer extension 43 is provided outside the annular projection 44, but the radial position of the outer extension 43 and the radial position of the annular projection 44 are aligned. good too. That is, the annular protrusion 44 may extend from the outer extension portion 43 toward the lens 31 (+X direction side). In this case, the dust-proof member 40 does not fall down between the substrate 10 and the base member 20 even without the inner extending portion 45 . As a result, the planar shape of the dust-proof member 40 can be reduced.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described so far, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and may be embodied in various forms within the scope of its technical concept.

Reference Signs List 1 imaging device 10 substrate 11 imaging element 13 mounting screw 20 base member 21 screw hole 22 opening 23 female screw portion 24 screw mounting portion 25 concave portion 30 lens barrel 31 lens 32 male screw portion 40 dustproof member 41 base portion 42 opening portion 43 outer extension Protruding portion (second contact portion)
44 annular projection (first contact portion)
45 inner extension (third contact portion)
46 groove

Claims (10)

a substrate on which an imaging device is mounted;
a lens barrel holding a lens inside, the lens barrel having a male screw portion on at least a part of the outer circumference;
a base member attached to the substrate, the base member having a female threaded portion with which the male threaded portion of the lens barrel is screwed;
a dustproof member disposed between the substrate and the base member and made of an elastic material;
The dustproof member is
an opening through which light directed from the lens in the lens barrel to the imaging device passes;
a base extending outwardly from the opening;
a first contact portion that contacts the lens barrel inside the male screw portion of the lens barrel;
a second contact portion connected to the first contact portion and in contact with the substrate around the imaging device;
a third contact portion that contacts the substrate inside the second contact portion;
has
The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the base portion of the dustproof member is formed with a groove portion whose thickness is reduced outside the first contact portion. 2. The first contact portion according to claim 1, wherein the first contact portion includes a protrusion that protrudes from the base portion so as to surround the opening portion and that contacts the lens barrel inside the male screw portion. imaging device. 3. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said dustproof member is elastically deformable such that said first contact portion urges said lens barrel away from said substrate. The imaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the groove portion of the dustproof member is recessed toward the substrate adjacent to the first contact portion. 5. The groove portion of the dust-proof member is arranged so as to face a threaded portion between the male screw portion of the lens barrel and the female screw portion of the base member. The imaging device according to . a substrate on which an imaging device is mounted;
a lens barrel holding a lens inside, the lens barrel having a male screw portion on at least a part of the outer circumference;
a base member attached to the substrate, the base member having a female threaded portion with which the male threaded portion of the lens barrel is screwed;
a dustproof member disposed between the substrate and the base member;
The dustproof member is
an opening through which light directed from the lens in the lens barrel to the imaging device passes;
a first contact portion that contacts the lens barrel inside the male screw portion of the lens barrel;
a second contact portion connected to the first contact portion and in contact with the substrate around the imaging device;
and a third contact portion that contacts the substrate inside the second contact portion. The imaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , wherein the third contact portion of the dustproof member is positioned inside the first contact portion. 8. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein said second contact portion of said dustproof member surrounds said imaging element of said substrate. 9. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein a gap is partially formed between said substrate and said base member. A recess having a shape corresponding to the shape of the dustproof member is formed in the base member,
the dust-proof member is configured to fit into the recess of the base member;
The imaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 9 .

Images